Drying apparatus



Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,58UL

W. H. PERRY.

DRYING APPARATUS. FILED MAY 10, I920.

INVENTOR. Wz'ZZzbz m H Per/y A TTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, p I I I TATE vessee Paras-r cranes.

WILIQIAMI H. PERRY, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

DRYIN AIPPTUS.

Application filed May 10,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. PERRY, acitizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the countyof'San Diego and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a drying apparatus more particularly adapted fordrying fish, fruit or vegetables by evaporation, more particularly bythe use of a current of warm air for removing the natural moisture, fromsaid fish, fruit, vegetables or other .articles and the objects of myinvention are: first, to

provide an apparatus in which a currentv of air is circulatedcontinuously through a fan and through a circuitous air duct containinga conveyor for the article to be dried and in which the moisture ladenair is discharged at intervals as it passes along said conveyor ladenwith the article to be dried; second, to provide an apparatus of thisclass in which the air passing through and over the article to be driedwill as soon'as it becomes sufficiently laden with moisture pass out anddown through spaced apart apertures and the warm dry air pass to theintake of'the fan and through said fan and out again for use; third, toprovide an apparatus of this class whereby the articles to be dried maybe placed on the conveyor at one end and removed fromjthe conveyor atthe opposite end and dried in itsmovement through the air duct throughwhich the air passes in its circulations through the fan; fourth, toprovide a new and novelly'contructed drying apparatus for de-hydratingfruits, vegetables, fish and the like; fifth, to provide an appara tusof this class which is very simple and economioai of construction andoperation, very efiicient in its action and which will not readilydeteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view as.

will appear hereinafter my invention consists of certain novel featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions aswill be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth intheappended claims reference being had to the accompanying drawings and tothe characters of reference thereon which form a part of thisapplication in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through 1-.1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2is a top or plan view of the apparatus showing portions 1920.. Seriaino. 380,073.

broken away and in section to facilitate the illustration; Fig. 3 is asectional view through 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 is a sectional viewthrough 44 of Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portionsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

The casing 1, partition 2, heating pipes 3, fan 4, conveyor 5, sheave 6,support 7, support 8, sheave 9, and change speed transmission 10constitute the principal parts and portions of my drying apparatus. Thecasing 1 is practically an air tight casng provided with a, partition 2separating 1t into two air ducts A and B forming a continuous circuitousair passage. Mounted in the one end of this casing 1 is a fan 4, thecasing being shaped to conform to the fan blades. The outlet of said fancommunicates with the air duct A which is the outgoing air duct Theinlet of'said fan communicates with one of the ends of the air duct Bwhich is the incoming air duct so that the air circulates from theoutlet of the fan 4 through the air duct A around the end of partition 2and back through the air duct B to the intake at the side of the fanMounted in these two air ducts A and B are pipes 3 which are heatconductors for either steam or air which are adapted to. connect withany air or steam suply so that the steam or air will circulate throughthese pipes for heating the air from the fan in its passage through theducts A and B. Mounted longitudinally in the duct B and adapted tooperate therein is the one side of a continuous formamincus conveyor 5which passes through the casing 1 at opposite ends of the duct B throughaperatures 1 and 1 The aperture 1 is provided with a slide door 1adapted to regulate the size of the aperture 1 for regulating thequantity of air admitted from the outside to the fan inlet. In the lowerside of the casing 1 below the air duct B are a plurality of apertures 1which are adapted to permit the exit of moisture laden air from the ductB when it becomes sufficiently laden so that it will pass down throughthese apertures 1 as the air passes toward the inlet of the fan 4. Theconveyor 5 is provided with any change speed mechanism for changing thespeed of conveyor, the particular change speed mechanism bein no part ofmy present invention.

he operation of the dryer is as follows: The articles to be dried areplaced on the upper side of the foraminous conveyor outside of thecasing and passed through themcoming air duct B on said conveyor preferably in the same direction-as the 'air moves and it is intended that theconveyor should be regulated to travelat the proper. speed so that thearticles onthe conveyor are dried intheir passage throu h the ducts B sothey may be removed at t e other end of said duct after it passes outthrough the aperture 1 The air circulates continuously from the outletof the fan over the heat pipes 3 around the end of the'partition'Q andback throu h the air duct B to the inlet of the fan. s a portion of theair becomes laden with moisture from the articles to be' dried it passesdown-through the apertures 1 and to the outside and the aperture 1 isregulated to said apertures 1 thus the heated air is circulatedcontinuously through the fan and released when the specific gravitybecomes suflicient byreason of its becoming moisture laden to passthrough said apertures I Though I have shown and describeda par ticularconstruction, combination and ar-- rangementof parts and portions I donot; wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination andarrangement-but V desire to include in the purview of my inbeing kept upnear the entrance of the fan through the aperture 1 and that the airinlet may be regulated so that the amount.

of moisture in the air eliminated through the apertures may "beregulated dependent upon the quantity of natural moisture in thearticles to be dried.-

Having thus described my invention what I clalm as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A drying apparatus including a casing provided with an outgoing andan incoming air duct and with a plurality of outlet apertures in itslower side and a foramiprovide for the loss of the moisture laden airwhich passes out through- Maaseo nous conveyor with onet side positionedin one of said air ducts and above said apertures. r

2. A drying apparatus, including a casing provided with a circuitous airduct, a foram-lnous conveyor with one side positioned in said air duct,the bottom of said casing I having a plurality of outlet apertures inthe lower side of said air duct below said conveyor anda fan with itsoutlet communicating'with the outgoing portion of said air duct and itsinlet communicating with the incomin portion of said air duct.

" 3. A drying apparatus, includin .a cas ing provided with an outgoingan incoming air duct, a foraminous conveyor with duct, the 'bottom ofsaid casing having a plurality of outlet apertures in the lower one sidepositioned in said incoming air side of said casing below said conveyor,:1

fan with its outlet communicating with the outgoing air' duct and itsinlet communicating with tlieincon'iing air duct'and means foradmittingairinto said casing from the outside to the intake of said fanin regulated quantities. V v

4. A drying apparatus, includinga cas- Ting provided with an outgoingand incoming air duct, a foraminous conveyor with one side positioned insaid air duct, the bottom of said casing having a plurality of airoutlet aperturesin said casing contiguous to said conveyor, a fan withits outlet communicating withthe outgoing air duct and its inletcommunicating with the incoming air ductand meansfor regulating thespeed of said conveyor.

5. A drying apparatus,vincluding a casing provided with an outgoing andincoming air duct, a foraminous conveyor with one side positioned insaid air duct, the bottom of said casing having a plurality of outletapertures in the lower side of said casing below said conveyor, a fanwith its outlet communicating with the outgoing air duct and its inletcommunicating with the incoming air duct, means for admitting air intosaid casing from the outside to the intake of said fan in regulatedquantities and means for regulating the speed of said conveyor.

In testimony afvhefeof, I have hereunto set my hand at SanDiego,.California, this 1st day of May, 1920.

WILLIAM H. PERRY.-

